Aeroplane.



0. G. SIMMONS.

ABROPLANB.

APPLICATION FILED 1116.13. 1910.

993,724. 'Patented May 3o, 1911.

4 BHEETB-SHEET 1.

0.` G. SIMMONS.

Patented May 30, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

@wi/Immo 0. G. SIMMONS.

ABROPLANE.

Patented May 30, 1911.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

- UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVER G'. SIMMONS, 0F WASHINGTON, DISTRICT 0F COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR, 0FONE- HALF T0 KENNETH L. KINTZEL, 0F TAMAQUA, PENNSYLVANIA.

Patented May 30, 1911.

'AEnorLANn 993,724. speciacaaon of Letters raient.

I Application filed August 13, 1910. Serial No. 577,038.

To all 'whom 'it m4n/comm. v

vBe it known that I, OLIVER Gr. SIMMONS, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented a newand useful Aeroplane,

of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to aeroplanes, of either the monoplane or biplanetype, and has particular reference to specific improvements in devicesfor 'stabilizing the machine without warping or distortin the forms ofthe main planes, all as `will e hereinafter fully described and claimed,and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aplan view of a biplane machine to which my improvements are connected;Fig. 2 is a front elevation and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the same;Fig. 4 1s a diagrammatic perspective view of the stabilizing devices inav preferred form thereof, detached from the other parts of the machine,the movable parts being shown in different positions by distinctive.character of lines; Fig. 5 is a sectional detail of cer- .25 tain-partshereinafter referred to; Fig. 6 is a detail hereinafter described, andFig. 7 is a perspective view of a modification of the invention.

Throughout the following detailed description and'on the several fi uresof the drawings similar parts are re erred to by like referencecharacters.

In aerial navigation when aeroplanes are employed it is well understoodthat in order to maintain proper equilibrium, when overcoming irregularimpulses of the wind or in turning, it is necessaryto vary the effectiveangles of the respective lateral ends of the machine, the means foraccomplishing this purpose being under the immediate control of theoperator. In this machine I provide for the above-mentioned control by`employing a pair or sets of/pairsl of independent planes, which may belocated at any convenient places with respect yto the main planes, butpreferably beyond the ends of the main planes at the extreme sides ofthe aeroplane.

As illustrated diagrammatically I have shown a liying machine includin apair of main supporting planes 10 an 10 held properly spaced one abovethe other by suitable braces 11 and maintained in proper rigid relationby guy wires 12. These planes and associated parts may be made of anysuitable materials now well known in the art but preferably are of arigid construction.

At 13 I show a horizontal plane carried by the front part of themachine, adapted for controlling the elevation thereof, and at the rearpart ofthe machine I show a horizontal plane 14 and vertical rudder 15.Any convenient or desirable form of propeller or propellers and drivingmeans therefor may beemployed but since they form no partv of thisinvention they are not illustrated.

In carrying out this invention in a practical embodiment, but which willbe understood as being illustrative of one of many adaptations which maybe resorted to, I have shown in the drawings a pair of auxiliary orstability .planes at each side of the machine, the planes of each pairbeing connected together for simultaneousand'harmonious operation, andboth pairs of stability planes being connected by means 1mder the directcontrol of the operator whereby they may vbe moved in unison ineitherdirection. I show a pair of stability planes 416HL and 16b at one end ofthe machine, say

at the left of the operator, and the other pair 17'l and 17b are at theri ht `of the operator. The stability planes o each pair are rigidlyguyed to each other so as to maintain proper parallelism between themand .ypt so as not to interfere with the variation 1n their positionwith respect to the main planes of the machine. A guy 18 also`is shownextending from the outer end of the axis of the upper plane of each pairdiagonally inwardly and downwardly and connected to a beam or strut inthe main part of the machine, the'purpose of such guy being to increasethe rigidity of that pair of stability planes with which it isassociated. The stability planes are shown as being normally inalinementrwith the main planes of the machine, but it is not my purposeto be limited to such positions.

As a suitable means for swinging the stability planes on their axes Ishow a pair of rock shafts 19 and 19, in alinement with each other andlying substantially in the lower main plane 10 and extendin laterallyfrom the region of the center of. the machine. fixed bearin'gs in themainframe. Each of said shafts has direct connection with a pair of theaforesaid stability planes, in this Said shafts are journaled insuitable ment with the axis' of the uppermost main plane l0. The saiduppermost stability plane is shown as having a short axis journaled at2O to the extreme end of the plane 10. As a suitable means for operatingsaid shafts I ,preferd to journal on their meeting ends a sleeve orframe 21, just ,outside of which are connected to the respective shafts19 and 19 a pair of miter gears 22 and 22, and meshing with both of saidgears is an 'idler gear 28 to which is connected a lever or rock shaft24 which may extend forwardly from the sleeve in normal position or .inany other suitable direction but preferably on the side of the main rockshaft adjacent to the operator.

In that form of the invention wherein the rock shaft`24 is connected tothe gear 23 for the rotation thereofin either direction, any

suitable means may be connected to the rock shaft, such as an auxiliarylever 24a under the control of the operator whereby when the saidauxiliary lever is swung to the right orleft the rock shaft 24 will becorrespondingly rotated and the shafts 19 and 19 rotated in oppositedirections.- v

lAs viewed in Fig. 4 if the lever 24%l be connected rigidly with thegear 23 and said gear be journaled for rotation with respect to thesleeve 21 it lis possible and perhaps may be desirable on the part ofthe operator for himA to so control the stability planesA as to causethem not only to move simultaneously in opposite directions but also tomove in the same direction'or even for one to be held stationary whilethe other may be moved in either direction. That is to say if-the lever24a projects upwardly and the operator draws upon it rearwardly he willcause the gear 23, andthe other gears to swing bodily together on theaxes vof the shafts 19 and 19,', causing the' stability planes to swingupwardly infront and downwardly in the rear. Likewise a forward movementof the lever would act to depress the stability planes in' front,tending',

to cause the machine to descend,"{[;f the le'-l ver 24a be swungdirectly to onegside or the other the gears 22 will be rotated simulta-vneously in opposite directions just as before described causing thestability planes to move simultaneously in opposite' directions. Again,it is possible for the lever 24a to be moved either forwardly orrearwardly in comairlation with a lateral movement so as to cause thegear 23 to roll upon one of the gears 22, leavingv the latterstationaryv and driving the other gear 22 at an increased speed in thedirection determined by thel direction of movement of the lever.

In Fig. 6 I have indicated a further adaptation ofmy improvement wherebythe leverv 24al is extended upwardly linto loose positiveyconnection-with the back rail or support of the seat of the operator,whereby the movestability planes on the left side of thev machine willbe turned tovdepress that side :of the machine. Any suitable meansmaybe. employed for connecting the seat to the machine and the saidlever to the seat. Any convenient means may ,be employed for operatingthe elevating plane 13 and the rudder l5, and under certaincircumstances it may desirable to connect one or the other or both ofthe controlling means ofthe elevatinglplane and rudder with the maincontrolling lever 24. A

Fig. 7 illustrates diagrammatically a modification ofthe devicein whichthe main stationary planes 10 and 10'- are displaced by the stabilityplanes, which are made correspondingly large enough fory this purpose.As in the other modifications however the stability planes have the samerelation to eachother Vand are controlled in a manner similar.` to thatabove described.-` The -stability planes 16. and 16d are connected' lforsimultaneous movement in either direction and the stability lanes 1'?cand 17d are operated in an opposite direction by means ofthe gearconnection heretofore described. This forin of the. invention will alsopreferably have coperatin with it the elevating plane 13 and the rud er15.

I claim: l l

In av iying machine, the combination with elevating and steeringdevices, of pairs ofstability planes on opposite sidesrof the machine,each pair of planes being connectedffor simultaneous movement in eitherdirection, vand means'fo'r rotating said pairs of planes simultaneouslyin opposite directions, said means including -a palr of coaxial rockshafts, a pair of gears connected to the respective shafts, -anintermediate gear meshing with said first-mentioned gears, and meansunder the direct control of the operator for automatically controllingthe'movetrolling means including an operators seat In testimonywhereof Ihave hereunto set having a back support, a. shaft connected to my handin the presence of two Witnesses.

and extending forwardly from said intermediate gear, and a leverextending ua- OLIVERVG SIMMONS 5 Wardly at an angle from said shaftdirect 5 to and having loose positive engagement l GLENN R. MADoLE, withsaid back support of' the seat.

Witnesses I VERNON L. BURGE.

